Lobenstein Farm

Saint Leon, Indiana

Kim Lobenstein Callahan knows the secret to a successful family farm: Teamwork. “It’s a great life to raise your kids in,” she says. “You get to watch them grow up. It’s a rewarding, but hard, life for a family. It teaches discipline and responsibility, but we all work together. That’s the most important thing.” 

Lobenstein Farm, a 380-acre operation in Saint Leon, IN, is Callahan’s family business. What do they grow? “Besides our animals, everything from asparagus to zucchini. A to Z, literally! Okra, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries, beans, peppers—you name it.”

And pumpkins. Their annual Pumpkin Festival might be what Lobenstein Farm is best known for. “My father started the festival in 1988,” Callahan says. “We always raised pumpkins and sold them to all the big stores, but he thought people would want to come and pick their own.” 

He was right. Today, the festival spans the first three weekends of October, with between 2,000 and 3,000 visitors each day. This year’s festival dates are October 6–7, 13–14, and 20–21. Admission is free to stroll the grounds and enjoy the petting zoo, with a nominal charge for family-friendly hayrides and a big corn maze.

And then there’s the food. Callahan oversees all of it and makes most of it herself. “We really are known for our food,” she says. Look for chili, green beans and ham, french fries, and fried chicken. And of course, pumpkin rolls and pies


Lobenstein Farm
29703 Post 464 Road
Saint Leon, IN
812.576.3177

Find it at farmers’ markets: Nativity Church (Pleasant Ridge), Wyoming, Northside, Ft. Thomas, Madeira, Finneytown, Findlay Market

Fall Pumpkin Festival 2018
Oct 6–7, 13–14, 20–21 from 10am–7pm

Pittsburgh native Paula is a transplant to the Dayton area, and former dining critic for the Dayton City Paper. Her love of chocolate mousse knows no bounds.